How to stop macOS creating hidden files on network shares/USBs?

Six6siX · 24 Jan 2018 at 15:32

Hopefully someone knows how to stop this happening...

macOS creates files like '._ <filename>' whenever <filename> is accessed or ._DS_Store in folder roots on non-macOS SMB shares or USB drives.

Is there any way to stop this behaviour?

It's really frustrating ending up with loads of duplicate dummy files and I'm not sure if they also potentially cause any configuration issues with some applications that don't ignore the '.' prefix. I also end up with loads of dummy files on the USB sticks and SD cards I use in the car and the car tries to play each one as a media file...

MacRS4 · 24 Jan 2018 at 18:34

Not sure this is the same command on high sierra but it’ll be similar

defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores true

May need to restart finder or reboot afterward.

Deleted member 77746 · 24 Jan 2018 at 18:44

Disable creating '.ds_store' on USB volumes

Code:

defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteUSBStores -bool true

Disable creating '.ds_store' on network volumes

Code:

defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores -bool true

Six6siX · 25 Jan 2018 at 08:05

Thanks both, I'll give those commands a go!

Will that work for the .-<filename> ones too?

ic1male · 26 Jan 2018 at 18:17

There's an app that does it but you've got to pay

http://www.zeroonetwenty.com/blueharvest/

Deleted member 77746 · 27 Jan 2018 at 18:15

ic1male said:
There's an app that does it but you've got to pay

http://www.zeroonetwenty.com/blueharvest/

Why when you just run the commands and it's free. The less apps on a system the better.

ic1male · 27 Jan 2018 at 18:46

mrbell1984 said:
Why when you just run the commands and it's free. The less apps on a system the better.

Not everyone is willing to use the terminal. The more choice you have, the better.